


Little Earthquakes

by xtremeroswellian



Series: Better Days [10]
Category: Jericho
Genre: F/M, Not at all descriptive, Past Rape/Non-con, Ravenwood, Revenge, Stealing from the rich
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-05-17
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:27:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24240565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtremeroswellian/pseuds/xtremeroswellian
Summary: When Constantino and some of his men take Stanley and his family hostage, Heather offers herself as a trade and in the midst of the fallout, Jake finally finds out what happened to Heather in New Bern.
Relationships: Jake Green/Heather Lisinski, Mimi Clark/Stanley Richmond
Series: Better Days [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1693354
Kudos: 2





	Little Earthquakes

**Three Weeks Later**

"Hawkins, Stanley, and I are heading out for tonight's rounds," Jake said quietly, careful not to wake his mother.

Over the past few weeks, Ravenwood had tightened their hold on Jericho. Decreasing their food rations to barely enough to live on and conducting house raids at any given time without warning. Now, he and the other residents were fighting back. Stealing rations and giving them to those who needed more. 

Heather rose to her feet from where she'd been sitting on the sofa with a crossword puzzle, her blue eyes filled with concern. "Okay. Be careful," she whispered, feeling the familiar knot in her stomach she felt every night it was Jake's turn to play Robin Hood. 

"I will," he leaned down and kissed her gently. 

Her eyes drifted closed as he brought a hand to her cheek. She returned the soft kiss. 

He pulled away after a moment. "Get some rest. I'll be back before you know it." 

She offered him a small, wry smile because they both knew she had every intention on waiting up for him. It wasn't like she'd be able to sleep without knowing whether or not he was all right. "Come back in one piece." 

He smiled slightly. "You know I always do." 

Heather nodded and watched as he headed for the door, chewing on her lower lip. 

When Jake exited the house, Stanley and Hawkins were already waiting for him. "Let’s do this." 

* * * 

Two hours later, Heather was curled up in the recliner facing the front door, an afghan draped over her as she chewed nervously on her thumbnail. Beside her lay a small handgun--the one Jake had given her weeks ago when she'd first returned to Jericho and requested it. 

Jake reentered quietly, shutting the door. "It's me, Heather." 

She relaxed instantly at the sound of his voice, letting out a breath. "How'd it go?" 

He let out a breath. "It went okay." 

"Good," she whispered, rising to her feet. 

"You ready to go get some sleep now?" 

Heather hesitated a moment and glanced toward the fireplace, biting her lip. 

He smiled a little. "Or we can sit by the fireplace." 

"You're not tired?" she asked softly. 

He shook his head. 

She glanced up at him again, uncertainly. She knew neither one of them were getting enough rest. If he wasn't having a nightmare when he slept, he was waking her from one. But things had been so crazy in the weeks since she'd been back, and she wondered if some quiet awake time might help them both a little. "Okay." She moved over to the sofa and curled her feet beneath her. 

He sat down beside her, grabbing the afghan and draping it over the both of them. 

Heather drew in a breath and released it slowly, resting her head on his shoulder and gazing into the flickering firelight. 

He put his arms around her, pulling her close to him and resting his chin on the top of her head. 

The silence that fell between them was one of comfortable familiarity. They'd gotten closer since she'd been staying there. She and Jake had fallen into a pattern that consisted of nearly constant companionship as they worked side-by-side on whatever project the town needed done. 

But there was a limit to that closeness. Because Jake still had questions that she wasn't ready to answer. He didn't voice them often, but the way he would look at her--the questions reflected in his eyes--said more than words could. 

"How was your day?" He asked quietly. 

"Not too bad," she said softly, gazing at the firelight. "Most of the kids are back in class now." 

"That's good." 

Heather bit her lower lip. "I saw Emily." 

"You did?" 

She nodded slightly. 

"How is she?" 

She lifted her head off his shoulder and sat up, letting out a breath as she looked away. 

He straightened. "Heather." 

"Distant," she said very softly. 

He looked down. "Oh." 

"Maybe..." She hesitated. 

He raised his eyebrow. "Maybe what?" 

"Maybe you should talk to her," she said quietly. 

"I will," he paused. "But Heather, you should know...Emily and I aren't together." 

"I know. She told me." Heather didn't look at him. 

"And we talked about it." 

She nodded slightly. 

"I'll talk to her again though." 

She glanced at him momentarily, her eyes dark. 

He caught the dark look, then looked away. "You should get some sleep." 

"I'm not really tired," she said softly, though she rose to her feet, tucking some hair behind her ears. 

"I'm sorry," he murmured, running a hand down his face. 

Her eyebrows furrowed a little. "For what?" 

"Just...for..." He struggled with his words. "Emily and I...we're...old news." 

"Jake--" 

He looked at her, eyes sad. 

She groaned inwardly and looked down at the floor, shutting her eyes. That look always broke her heart and she was pretty sure he knew it. "I'm not...I just...feel guilty." 

He shook his head. "You shouldn't." 

That was easy for him to say, she thought, biting her lower lip. 

"Heather, Emily and I haven't been...the same since before I left." 

"I've heard the stories," she said quietly. 

"Only the good ones," he murmured darkly. 

She wound her arms around her waist, not meeting his eyes. "That's not exactly true." 

"What are you talking about?" 

"I've heard more than just the good stories, Jake." She hesitated a moment. "I've been here almost five years. And...well...Gracie Leigh was a talker." 

"So she told you about Emily's brother." 

"Actually, Emily filled me in on that part." 

"Oh," he sat back down on the couch, putting his head in his hands. 

Heather gazed at him for a moment. "Look, Jake, what happened with all that...it wasn't your fault. You tried to talk him out of it." 

"Yeah, I know." 

"And Emily doesn't blame you. Not anymore." Her words were soft. 

“Sure.”

"She doesn't. She told me so." 

He shrugged a little, still not looking up. "I don't forgive myself." 

"No kidding." 

He licked his lips and finally looked up. "Look, Emily and I are in the past. That's that." 

She met his gaze for a brief moment, looking for a moment like she was going to argue. Then she dropped her gaze to the floor. "Okay." 

He fell silent after that, looking back at the fire. 

"You should get some sleep," she said quietly. 

"Not tired." 

"You seem tired." 

He shrugged. 

Heather raked a hand through her hair and turned away from him, also staring into the fire. 

"You know what's funny?" 

At the moment she couldn't think of a single humorous thing on the planet. "What's that?" 

"We've worked together, gotten...closer over these few weeks and we've talked to and trusted each other. And now suddenly...we're back to Emily." 

Heather winced a little. "She's my friend, Jake. And she loves you." 

"We don't feel the same way about each other." 

"It's not all about Emily," she whispered. 

"Then what else is it? Because I've gotta tell you, I'm not a mind reader," he looked at her once more, tone filled with frustration. 

"Jake..." She shut her eyes and let out a slow breath. 

"Or not," he muttered. 

Heather felt the chasm between them growing wider and her stomach knotted. "I'm sorry," she whispered, slowly turning to face him, her eyes reflecting sadness and regret. "I really am. I do trust you." She swallowed hard and slowly sat down in the recliner across from the sofa. "I'm just...there are things..." 

"From New Bern?" He asked quietly. 

She nodded silently, looking down at the floor. 

"Oh." 

"I'm trying, Jake," she whispered. 

He let out a breath. "I know." 

She lifted her eyes to meet his wordlessly. 

"I wish you'd let me in," he said, words barely audible. 

Heather bit her lower lip, blinking back the tears that suddenly flooded her eyes. 

"But..." He sat back. "I know you need time." 

"You deserve answers," she whispered. 

"When you're ready." 

"It's late," Heather murmured, glancing up at him once more. 

He nodded. "Yeah." 

She slowly rose to her feet, drawing in a breath and shivering a little as she glanced toward the stairs. Despite the fact she was sleeping in his room and he was sleeping in Eric's old room, they always seemed to end up in the same room by morning due to one of them having some kind of nightmare. 

He stood up behind her. "Let’s go to bed." 

"Okay," she said softly, letting him lead the way to the stairs. 

When they got to the top, Jake kissed the top of her head gently. "Night." 

"Goodnight," she whispered, quietly pushing open the door to his bedroom and stepping inside. 

He turned into Eric's room but did not go to the bed. Instead, he stood at the window, listening for when Heather would need him to pull her from her dark dreams. 

* * * 

Heather paused in the doorway of Major Beck's hospital room, faint smile on her face. "Heard you finally woke up." 

Beck smiled weakly. "Yep, I did." 

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly, hesitantly stepping inside. 

"Sore," he rasped. 

"I bet." She tucked some hair behind her ear, her blue eyes concerned. "Can I get you anything?" 

He shook his head. "I'm good." 

"Had us all pretty worried there, Major." 

"Sorry," he whispered. 

"Just focus on getting better," she said with a small smile. 

"I can do that." 

"Good. Because we need you back out there." 

"How bad is it?" He asked quietly. 

Heather dropped her gaze. "Bad," she admitted in a quiet whisper. 

He shut his eyes. "Damn." 

She glanced toward the door, taking note of one of the Ravenwood men looking in at her. Her stomach knotted. "Just...get better." She rested her hand on his arm for a second. "I gotta..." 

He nodded slightly. "Go." 

"I'll stop by tomorrow." She offered him a small smile and headed for the door, avoiding the Ravenwood man's gaze. 

"Be safe, Heather." 

Heather paused and turned to look at him once more, nodding slightly. "I will." 

He gave a slight nod back. "Bye." 

"Bye," she said softly, slipping out the door and heading down the corridor. 

As she headed down the corridor, Jake rounded the corner going the opposite way and collided with her. "Heather! Sorry!" 

She looked at him, startled. "Jake, what are you--" 

"Heard Beck was awake." 

"Yeah, I just saw him," she said, glancing over her shoulder. 

"How is he?" 

"Sore." She looked back at him, a hint of warning in her eyes. "They're watching him pretty intently." 

He folded his arms and looked down the hallway at the Ravenwood guards. "I figured they would be." 

"You gonna...go see him?" 

He shrugged. "Ravenwood's not too happy with me at the moment." 

Heather looked at him uncertainly, worry clear in her eyes. She shifted closer to him. "They didn't..." 

"They suspect," he murmured. 

Her face paled considerably. 

He put his hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry. They can't prove anything." 

"They don't have to," she pointed out. 

"What do you mean?" 

"Jake, this isn't a rational group of individuals. It's not the government from eight months ago," she whispered, shifting even closer to him as Kenchy wheeled a patient by them. 

"I know that," he whispered back. "But they can't throw me in prison because they've always been able to account for me -- for everyone else too." 

"It's not throwing you in prison I'm worried about." 

"They can't hurt me." 

Something clouded her eyes for a split second, then disappeared as quickly as it had come. "Let's get outta here." 

He caught that look in her eyes and frowned. "Okay." 

She led him down the corridor and out into the parking lot, looking around nervously. 

"Heather, what's going on?" 

She glanced at him over her shoulder, face still pale. "Just wanted to get out of there." 

"What aren't you telling me?" 

Heather swallowed hard and turned to face him. "I think you should go." 

He folded his arms. "No." 

"Jake, you said yourself they suspect you," she whispered. 

"But that's about it," he protested. 

"Ravenwood isn't going to play around and wait for evidence." Her eyes were filled with genuine fear. 

"I know, Heather. I'm being careful." 

She bit down on her lip and looked away, her heart beating quickly in her chest. 

"Hey," he said softly. 

She lifted her gaze to his face once more. 

"I'll be okay." 

"Promise." 

"I promise." 

* * * 

Stanley walked into his kitchen only to find Mimi staring out the window. Quietly, he came up behind her and put his hands over her eyes. 

A smile spread across her face. "What are you doing?" 

He grinned, keeping his hands on her eyes. "You're supposed to guess who." 

Mimi chuckled a little. "Brad Pitt?" 

"Oh ouch." 

Grinning, she ducked from under his grasp and turned to face him. "Does that make me Angelina Jolie?" 

He shook his head. "Naw, you're way hotter than she is." 

She started to respond when the front door suddenly burst open. She turned to see Bonnie being escorted inside by a group of men she didn't recognize. 

Bonnie's face was pale, frightened. 

Stanley immediately moved for his shotgun. "Let her go." 

"One more step and she dies," the man holding onto her warned, gun pointed at Bonnie's head. 

Instinctively Mimi reached out and clutched onto Stanley's arm. "Who the hell are you?" 

Stanley lowered the gun. "It's Ravenwood." 

Bonnie shook her head ever so slightly, locking eyes with her brother. "No." 

Mimi swallowed hard as a familiar man pushed his way into the house. "It's New Bern," she whispered as she found herself staring at Phil Constantino. 

He snarled at the sight of him. "You son of a bitch, let her go." 

"Relax, Mr. Richmond. Have a seat." Constantino smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "We're gonna be here awhile. So you might as well get comfortable." 

"Not until you let my sister go." 

He shrugged and glanced at the man holding onto Bonnie, who released her. 

Bonnie quickly moved across the room to Stanley and Mimi, looking shaken, but unharmed. 

"You okay?" He asked, hugging her tightly. 

She nodded quickly, throwing Mimi a frightened look. 

Mimi tried to offer her a reassuring smile, but even she wasn't that good at pretending. They were in deep trouble. 

* * * 

Jake watched in slight amazement as Heather bustled around his kitchen after they left the med center. He didn't think he'd ever seen that girl move so fast in an enclosed space. 

"Heather...slowing down is a good thing, you know." 

"I wanna get dinner all done before your mom comes back from the med center," she said without looking up. 

"She's not going to be back for hours," he pointed out.   
me: Heather nodded a little, indicating she'd heard him but not really absorbed the words. She chopped an onion into pieces quickly. 

Sighing, he walked over to her and stopped her movements. "You're not listening." 

She swallowed hard and looked down at where his hands rested atop her own. 

"I know what you're trying to do," he said quietly. 

"What am I trying to do?" she asked just as quietly. 

"Keep your mind off...other things. But trying to do it with sharp objects isn't the right way to do it." 

"You know that from experience?" There was the slightest hint of humor in her voice as she looked up at him. 

He held up his hand to show her a scar on his palm. "Yeah. I know." 

Heather gazed at the faint scar for a moment, then pressed a soft kiss against it without thinking about it. 

He smiled a little at the gesture. "Thanks." 

She blushed, ducking her head a little. 

He was about to say more when the phone rang. He frowned. "Huh." Heather watched him walk over and pick up the telephone. 

"Hello?" He said slowly. 

"Jake? That you?" Stanley's voice sounded strange. Like he was trying to be casual, but there was underlying tension just beneath the casualty. 

"Yeah...it's me..." His frown deepened at the tone. "You okay?" 

"Me? Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Listen, uh, my tractor broke down. Do you think you could bring Heather over to check it out?" 

Now he knew something was wrong. "I'll be right over, you need tools?" 

"Yeah, a screwdriver. Oh, and...if you have any of those peanuts left over...we're out here." 

Jake's eyebrows shot up. "I'll see about the peanuts..." 

Heather turned to look at him with a frown as he hung up the phone. "Jake?" 

He took a breath. "Constantino's at Stanley's house." 

Her face paled. " _What_?"   
He nodded, expression grim. "And they're heavily armed." 

She leaned against the counter, her heart pounding quickly against her chest. "What do we do?" 

"We go protect them." 

* * * 

Heather took in the sight of the vehicles from New Bern, her stomach tightening as Jake pulled his truck to a stop. She didn't dare venture a glance at him. _Pretend like you don't know what's going on,_ she told herself, taking a deep breath as she reached for the passenger door handle. 

"Stay behind me, okay?" Jake's voice was laced with worry. 

She nodded because she knew it would seem more natural that way. "Okay." 

Jake reached for his own handle and got out of the truck, making sure his gun was tucked safely in his jacket, he led the way up to Stanley's house. 

Heather followed, her heart beating heavily in her chest. 

When they reached the front door, Jake knocked. "Stanley?" 

The door opened and Heather looked up and met Stanley's dark eyes. "Heard your tractor needs fixed," she said, surprised at how calm and normal her voice sounded. 

Stanley stepped back, to let them in. "Glad you could come." 

Her gaze flickered to Jake momentarily and she followed him inside, resisting the urge to grab his arm when she spotted Constantino and several of his deputies in the kitchen with Mimi and Bonnie. 

Jake raised his eyebrow in feigned surprise. "Constantino." 

"What the hell is this?" she whispered. 

"Glad you could join us." He smiled. 

"You need something?" 

"Jake, I think you know the answer to that." Constantino smirked at him. 

He folded his arms. "Enlighten me." 

He nodded slightly, gaze moving to Heather. "I just want one thing." 

"Guess you wasted a trip." 

He shrugged and looked over his shoulder at his deputies. "I don't think so." 

The man who'd been arrested just a few weeks ago smirked and moved forward, resting a hand on Bonnie's shoulder. 

"Get your hands off her," Heather ordered, stepping forward. 

Jake put his arm out, keeping her behind him. "Threatening her life gets you nowhere." 

The deputy smirked and slid his hand down Bonnie's hair and Heather's stomach turned at the sight. 

"Well then I guess we're at an impasse," Constantino said with a shrug. "This can be very easy or very bloody. Take your pick." 

Jake's expression remained impassive. "Didn't know you were this cowardly." 

Feeling like she would throw up, she rested a hand on Jake's arm. "If I go with you, you'll let them all go unharmed?" 

"Heather--" 

"Jake." She shook her head a little, focusing her gaze on  
Constantino. 

He clenched his jaw and looked at Constantino, waiting for an answer. 

"Well, now this is surprising." Constantino leveled his gaze at Jake. "So willing to give her up for the good of the majority." He turned his eyes to Heather. "Deputy Hanson said it wouldn't be hard to get you to agree if your friends were in danger." 

"Do we have a deal, or not?" He growled. 

Heather's face was pale. 

"You come along willingly and we have a deal." Constantino held Heather's gaze. 

Jake turned his gaze to Heather as well. 

She couldn't look at Jake, couldn't let him see the fear in her eyes. "We have a deal then." 

"Ms. Lisinski--" Bonnie began to protest. 

"Bonnie, she has to go," Jake turned to her, no expression on his features. 

She looked at him in shock, then glanced at Mimi, who was also staring at him. 

Heather stepped away from Jake and Constantino moved toward her. "Try anything and everyone here dies," he warned. 

"She's yours," Jake’s tone was cold. 

"I don't know. I kinda like this one." Deputy Hanson leaned down and sniffed Bonnie's hair. 

"Let go of her right now." Heather's eyes were dark. 

"Call off your dog, Constantino." 

"Hanson." He nodded slightly. "We have what we came for." 

Hanson smirked as he looked at Heather, and Jake took a warning step forward. 

Constantino took Heather by the arm none-too-gently and headed toward the front door. "Nice doing business with you, Jake." 

He only gave a slight, cold nod. 

Stanley's eyes were narrowed and dark as he glared at the men as they left his house one by one. Without hesitation, he stepped into the kitchen and grabbed his shotgun. 

"Stanley." 

He raised an eyebrow as he headed toward the door. 

Jake stepped toward him. "Stanley, put the gun down and stay inside." 

"You're not gonna just let them take Heather," he said, shaking his head. 

"Just wait, okay?" 

Stanley stared at him for a moment, then reluctantly lowered the gun and remained where he was. 

* * * 

Heather shuddered as Constantino shoved her roughly into the front passenger seat of the large truck in Stanley's driveway, sandwiching her between himself and Hanson. 

"Jake made a wise decision." 

She didn't respond, swallowing back the bile in her throat. 

"You're not going to get away from us again." 

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Robert Hawkins pressed the barrel of his gun against the back of Constantino's head. 

Constantino froze. "The hell--" 

"Make one move and the few brain cells you have left in your head are gonna splatter all over the windshield," he warned. 

Hanson moved for his gun at the threat. 

"Unless you wanna see your own brains mixed with your boss's, I wouldn't," Eric warned, cocking his own gun. 

Constantino kept his hands on the steering wheel. "You just gonna keep us in here?" 

"Get out very slowly," Hawkins ordered. "Heather, stay put." 

She nodded wordlessly, remaining completely still. 

He opened the door and got out, putting his hands up slightly. 

"Higher," he commanded. 

He put them up a few more inches. 

Hawkins slid out of the back of the truck, keeping his gun trained steadily on Constantino while Eric did the same with Hanson. 

A few seconds later, Jake and Stanley came outside. Jake with his gun pointed straight at Constantino's head. "It's a bitch to be caught, isn't it?" 

Stanley was slightly amazed to see the entire group from New Bern surrounded by citizens from Jericho: Emily, Jimmy, Bill, Eric, Hawkins, and several others, all holding guns. 

"So now what?" Constantino's voice was bored. 

"I do what I should have done weeks ago," he cocked the gun. 

"Jake." Emily flickered her gaze to him. 

"He doesn't deserve to live, Emily." 

"I don't disagree," she said softly. "But you can't just kill him." 

"There's enough damming evidence to." 

"You'll be court martialed," Hanson said with a smirk. 

Jake's gaze flickered over to him. "Do I look like I care?" 

"Stanley, get Heather out of the truck," Eric said evenly. 

Stanley nodded, jogging over to the truck and opening the door. "Come on." 

Her face drained of all color, she slid out of the seat. 

Jake glanced over at her. "You okay?" 

She nodded slightly, holding onto Stanley's arm. 

Stanley put his arm around her. "Jake...they're right. You can't just kill him."

"He's done too many injustices to get away again with his life," Jake responded coldly. 

Mimi and Bonnie stood together on the porch, Mimi's arm around her protectively. She gazed across the way at Stanley, worry in her eyes. 

"You're not a killer, Jake," Emily said quietly. 

A haunted look appeared in his eyes. "Yes I am." 

Heather heard a distant rumbling and she slowly looked over her shoulder, sucking in a breath at the sight of the army trucks rolling toward them. 

"Dammit," he whispered, lowering his gun slightly. 

"Ravenwood?" Stanley pulled Heather a little closer. 

"Beck," she whispered, ghost of a smile on her face. 

When the trucks came to a stop, Jake tucked his gun away. 

Beck slowly climbed out of the passenger seat of the truck he was in and looked around. "Someone wanna tell me what the hell's going on here?" 

Stanley's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Major Beck." 

"Mr. Richmond." He nodded slightly, then focused his gaze on Jake. 

"Thought you would still be in the hospital," Jake said. 

"I got an anonymous tip that there was trouble out here." He glanced at Heather, then back at Jake. Then he looked at Constantino, his eyes narrowing. 

"It's all a misunderstanding, Major," Constantino replied. 

"The hell it is," Mimi said angrily as she headed off the porch. "This son of a bitch took us hostage!" 

"I merely walked into their home for a casual conversation.” 

"Without invitation and at gun point isn't casual conversation," she snarled, glaring at him. 

Major Beck glanced at his own men. "Take every one from New Bern into custody." 

His men moved quickly, taking them into custody and leading them none too gently to the trucks. 

His gaze landed upon Jake once more. "I'm gonna need you," he pointed at Jake, then at Heather, Stanley, Mimi and Bonnie in turn. "And all of you to come down to the station to give statements." 

Jake shook his head. "You can take the statements here." 

"Jake," Heather's voice was quiet. "Major Beck needs to rest." 

"And he would be able to rest better here than at the station." 

"He's got a point," Mimi said, glancing at Heather. 

"Yeah, and we can set up chairs and everything," Stanley put in. 

Looking weary, Beck nodded slightly at the offer. "All right." 

* * * 

"So that's when I called Jake." Stanley's voice was quiet, a hint of guilt behind the words as he looked down at the kitchen table. "And asked him to bring Heather." 

Major Beck nodded and turned to gaze at Heather. "Did you know what was going on before Jake took you with him?" 

"He told me Stanley gave him a coded message that there was trouble with Constantino," she said quietly. 

"So, then you agreed to be bait?" He raised an eyebrow. 

Heather lifted her chin a little. "Yeah." 

"I see." 

"My friends were in trouble," she said softly. 

"For the record..." Jake spoke up. "I told her she didn't have to do it." 

Mimi gazed at her intently from where she stood behind Stanley, her hands resting on his shoulders. She offered her a small smile. 

Heather smiled back, but it was faint. Her gaze flickered to where Bonnie stood in the back of the kitchen, arms wrapped around herself. 

Beck merely nodded and stood slowly. "We'll take these men down to the station and deal with them further. 

"You mean, you're going to let them go again?" Mimi raised an eyebrow. 

He sighed. "Ravenwood will decide what to do with them." 

"Well, I feel much better now," Stanley said sarcastically as he rose to his feet. 

"It's not his fault," Heather said softly, not looking up. 

"I'm sorry Mr. Richmond, this is all I can do," he glanced at Heather briefly. 

She offered him a tiny smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I'll be at the station later." 

"Alright," he gave a short nod to everyone and left the house. 

She watched him go, then slowly rose to her feet. 

Jake studied her intently. "You sure you're okay?" 

She nodded a little, gaze locking on Bonnie once more. "Yeah, I just...I need a minute." 

"Excuse me," Bonnie murmured, moving into the other room. 

Heather followed her, missing the look Stanley and Jake exchanged. She rested a hand on Bonnie's arm and gazed at her intently. "Are you all right?" 

She nodded a little, brushing away a tear that slid involuntarily down her face. 

Wordlessly, she pulled the younger girl into a tight hug. 

Bonnie hugged her back tightly, sniffing back more tears. 

When Heather pulled away once more, her own eyes were watery. "I'm so sorry." 

She shook her head. "It's not your fault." 

"Did they hurt you?" She gazed at Bonnie intently. 

"No." 

Heather relaxed, shutting her eyes momentarily. 

"It was just scary," she admitted. 

"I know. I'm glad you're okay." 

"I'm glad you're okay too," she hugged her again. 

She nodded slightly, then turned when Stanley cleared his throat from behind them. 

"What you two talking about?" He asked, expression concerned. 

"Just wanted to make sure Bonnie was okay," Heather said, glancing at her sideways. 

He nodded, his gaze sliding over to his sister. "You are, right?"

"I'm fine, Stanley." 

Heather drew in a breath and reached up to rub the back of her neck, her muscles tense. "I'm gonna get some air," she said softly, turning and heading out onto the porch. 

Jake saw her leave and quickly followed. Shutting the door softly, he came and stood by her. 

"This really sucks," she whispered, slowly sitting down on the porch swing. 

"Yeah," he sat down beside her and sighed. 

She rested her head in her hands for a moment. 

He put his hand on her back and began to rub it. "I'll find a way to keep them locked up." 

"It's never gonna end, Jake," she whispered. 

"Don't say that." 

"If Constantino's here and locked up, the others will come for him. If he goes back to New Bern, he'll send more men here. If he dies, they'll retaliate." 

"Not everyone would, though." 

Heather let out a breath and shut her eyes. 

"We'll make this right," he said softly. 

She tried to smile, but couldn't. Then she opened her eyes to look at him. "I need to get to the station." 

"I'll take you." 

Heather nodded a little and rose to her feet. "I'm gonna...go tell Stanley and Mimi..." Her voice trailed off as she hesitantly stepped back into the Richmond's house. 

Mimi met her at the door. "Hey Heather." 

"Hey. I was just...coming in for a minute. We're leaving." 

"Okay," she said softly. "Thank you." 

She shook her head a little. "Really...you don't need to thank me." 

"I do. You came at just the right time.' 

She looked down at the floor briefly. "Keep an eye on Bonnie, okay?" Her voice was quiet. 

Mimi put a hand on her shoulder. "I will. You look after yourself too." 

Heather nodded slightly, then hesitated. "I'm gonna...go tell Stanley goodbye." 

"Okay." 

She moved around Mimi and peeked into the kitchen where Stanley was standing at the sink, staring out the window. 

"Leaving?" He asked, not turning around. 

She bit her lip. "Yeah." 

"Thanks for...coming." 

"Stanley." Her voice was almost inaudible. 

He turned. "Yeah?" 

"I'm so sorry." 

"Don't be sorry," his voice was quiet. 

Heather's eyes watered. "They could have..." 

"But they didn't." 

"They could have." She looked at the floor. "Because they were after me." 

He turned around, letting out a breath. "What's happened, happened. They didn't die, so don't focus on what could have happened."

She nodded wordlessly and slowly turned to go. 

"Thank you for saving them." 

"Bye," she said softly, heading toward the front door. 

"Bye." 

Heather made her way out of the house, onto the porch and then headed for Jake's car without hesitation. 

Jake followed slowly after her, getting into the driver's side. 

She pulled the seatbelt across her and leaned back in the seat. 

"Heather--" 

"I know." 

He fell silent after that, starting the car and beginning the trip back into town. 

• * * 

Heather knocked lightly on Major Beck's office door and waited till he'd looked up. "Hi." 

"Hello Heather." 

She glanced behind her and then hesitated. "Can I come in?" 

He nodded, motioning to the chair in front of his desk. 

Heather stepped inside and pulled the door shut, moving to sit in the chair he indicated. "Are they in lockup?" 

He shifted in his chair. "For the time being, yes." 

She looked down at the floor for a moment. "I wanna talk to Constantino." 

"I don't think that's a good idea." 

"Major Beck, you asked me to be your liaison between Jericho and New Bern. Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?" 

"Not like this." 

Heather shook her head a little. "Then what is it you want from me?" 

"Keep peace, not taunt the leader while he's being held captive." 

She stared at him. "You think I want to taunt Constantino? All I want is for him to leave Jericho alone." 

He leaned back in his chair. "And telling him that right now won't affect him at all." 

Heather blew out a breath in frustration and rose to her feet. 

"I know you're frustrated, but--" 

"But what?" She turned to look at him, shaking her head a little. "There's nothing I can do? I figured that out a long time ago, Major Beck." 

"Give it time, Heather." 

A faint, bitter smile touched her lips. "Time's all I've got," she said despondently as she left his office. 

Beck shook his head as she left. He knew having these men here was making her stressed, and he wished with all his heart that he could do something to make them go away. But the simple fact was, it was out of his hands. 

* * * 

Heather raked a hand through her dark hair as she headed down the corridor of town hall, ignoring the Ravenwood men as they came and went. She caught sight of Jake talking to Eric in what looked to be an intense conversation but she didn't pause. She walked out the exit and headed across the street to Bailey's. 

It wasn't for another hour that it had dawned on Jake that Heather had walked past Eric and him. He had been so focused on his conversation with Eric about the fate of Constantino and his men, he hadn't even thought about going after her. A minute of thinking back made him remember seeing her walk across the street and into Bailey's. Uttering a soft curse, he got up from his desk and hurried to the bar. When he found her, he sat down next to her. "You scared me." 

"You don't get scared." She smirked a little and downed the shot in front of her. 

He frowned. "Excuse me?" 

"You're the town hero...heroes don't get scared." She motioned for Mary to pour her another drink. 

Jake took her shot glass away. "I think you're done." 

She turned her head to look at him and grinned. "I am?" 

"Oh yeah," he smelled the alcohol on her breath. "You're very done." 

"But I'm having fun." 

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah right." 

"So does that mean you're gonna entertain me?" She grinned, her eyes glassy as she tried to stand up. 

He grabbed her shoulders and sat her back down. "Oh no you don't." 

Heather groaned. "You're no fun." 

"Sorry, I'm not really into you falling flat on your face." 

"You could carry me." 

"Maybe in a little." 

She shrugged and looked across the bar at Mary. 

Jake looked at her as well. "How much did she have?" 

"Not that much. She's kind of a light weight," she said softly, glancing at Heather. 

"Hey." Heather sounded insulted. 

He chuckled softly. "We'll have to teach you how to hold your liquor later." 

"I can hold my liquor just...fine, buddy." 

"Sure..." He shook his head at her heavily slurred words. 

"Maybe you should get her home," Mary suggested quietly. 

"Yeah..." He stood up lifted Heather into his arms. "Come on you." 

She rested her head against his collarbone. "Jake Green to the rescue," she murmured. 

Yeah, to the rescue. An hour too late. He thought to himself, carrying her out the front door. 

* * * 

"Jake?" Gail's voice was alarmed as she watched her son carry Heather into the house. "What's going on? Is she all right?" 

"She's drunk," he murmured, placing her gently on the couch. 

She frowned, confusion flickering over her face. "What?" 

"Hi, Mrs. Green." Heather smiled at her as she stretched out on the sofa. 

"Really drunk," he added grimly. 

"Oh boy. I'll go make some coffee," Gail said with a soft sigh before turning and heading into the kitchen. 

When his mom left, Jake sat down beside Heather. "Can I ask what happened to bring this on?" 

"Major Beck didn't think I should taunt Constantino." 

He blinked. "What?" 

"I wasn't going to taunt him. I was going to nicely ask him to leave Jericho alone and stop trying to kill me. I'm tired of feeling like a rabbit." 

He raised an eyebrow. "And you were gonna tell him just like that?" 

"Nicely," she reiterated. 

He shrugged. "Had to ask." 

She sighed and closed her eyes. "It wouldn't have worked anyway." 

He looked down. "Probably not." 

"Sometimes I wonder why I bother," she murmured. 

"Because you make a difference." 

"You make a difference. I just get people killed. Like Ted." 

"That's not true." 

"I almost got Bonnie and Mimi and Stanley killed, too..." 

"Stop it. You saved them." 

"He could have hurt her," she whispered. 

"But he didn't." 

Heather drew in a breath and let it out slowly. "No." 

"Hey," he said softly. "What you got on your mind?" 

"I did save them once in New Bern," she murmured. 

"Saved who?" 

"Stanley, Eric...the men from Jericho." 

"Tell me how," he whispered. 

Gail stepped into the room with a mug of hot coffee, pausing briefly at Jake's soft tone. She looked at him questioningly. 

He shook his head slightly at her, waiting for Heather to respond. 

She remained still and silent, lingering in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room. 

Heather didn't open her eyes. "He had a gun and he said...that he'd kill them," she murmured. 

"Who had a gun?" 

"That...deputy. The shooter." 

"And you stopped him?" 

She nodded a little. 

"How?" He asked. 

"I gave him what he wanted," she whispered. 

Gail shut her eyes, suddenly feeling nauseous. 

His stomach turned to ice. "What was that?" 

"Me." 

He closed his eyes. "Oh Heather." 

"I had to." Her voice was strained. 

"You never have to do something like that," he put a hand on her head and stroked her hair. 

Gail's eyes were sad and she set down the cup of coffee she was carrying, moving to the sofa and sitting on the other side of Heather. She rested a hand on her ankle, looking at Jake. 

He bit his lip. "I'll make sure he can never hurt you again." 

"Don't...tell them," she murmured. 

He shook his head. "Tell who?" 

"Stanley and Eric." 

"Don't worry, I won't." 

Gail drew in a breath and pulled the afghan off the back of the sofa, gently pulling it over Heather. 

Bending down, Jake gently kissed her forehead before standing. "Get some rest." 

She murmured something unintelligible and snuggled under the blanket. 

Gail rose to her feet, as well, her eyes dark. 

Walking into the kitchen, Jake put his hands on the counter and stared out the window. 

She followed him, resting a hand on his back wordlessly. 

"That man can't remain breathing," he said darkly. 

Gail was silent for a moment. "Be careful." 

He turned to her. "I will." 

* * * 

Stanley rubbed the back of his neck as he headed into town hall, catching sight of Eric almost immediately. "Jake around?" 

He shook his head. "He left. Don't know when though." 

"Constantino and his men still locked up?" 

"Yeah." 

"Good." His voice was hard. 

At that moment, Jake walked back into the building, expression set and determined. 

"Jake?" Stanley looked at him. 

"Come with me," he said, walking past him. 

He glanced at Eric with confusion, worry in his eyes. "Where are we going?" He followed without hesitation, Eric just behind him. 

"The holding block." 

Eric's eyes widened a little, and he moved a little quicker, falling into step with his older brother. 

When they got to the blocks, Jake singled out the shooter. "You sick son of a bitch." 

Stanley was caught off guard, figuring Jake's anger would be focused on Constantino. 

Hanson, however, didn't look surprised. He simply looked up at Jake with a smirk. 

"I wanna know why," he snarled. 

"Jake?" Eric looked at him in confusion, shaking his head a little. 

"She finally told you, huh?" He grinned. 

"Yeah, she did," he clenched his hands into fists. 

"What the hell is going on?" Stanley asked, looking at Jake, then at Hanson. 

"This bastard hurt Heather." 

Hanson smirked again. "That's what happens to little traitor bitches." 

Reaching through the bars, he grabbed Hanson by the lapels. "Don't you talk about her like that." 

"Jake!" Eric pulled his brother back a little, still looking a little bewildered. He looked at Hanson. "What the hell did you do to her?" 

Hanson looked at him, backing away from the cell door, out of Jake's reach. "You should know. You were there." 

Stanley stared at him. 

"Excuse me?" 

Jake glared at the man, struggling against his brother's hold. 

"You were both there, just around the corner. She was really afraid I'd use that gun on you. Made her real cooperative." 

Fear went through Eric. "What?" 

Hanson smirked at him. "You heard me." 

"You... _used_ us." 

Stanley stared at him, his eyes darkening. 

Eric released his brother. "Can you get access to the keys?"

Jake nodded. "I can." 

"Good. Go get them." 

"Let's not be too hasty," Constantino said, rising to his feet. 

"Stay out of this, Constantino." 

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you really think Heather would want you to commit murder on her behalf?" 

"Yeah," he said darkly. "She would." 

"Maybe you don't know her as well as you think," he responded. 

"Shut up," Stanley ordered, his voice quiet, harsh. 

"Careful," Jake warned. "I just might kill you too." 

"Let's talk about your sins for a minute, Green." Hanson looked at him darkly. "You let come to New Bern. You never came to check on her. Hell, you never even came to get her." 

A split second later, the sound of a gun going off reverberated in the cell block and Hanson fell over, dead. 

Stanley turned slowly to look at Eric, who was holding a gun. "We gotta get outta here right now." 

Jake's eyes were wide as he turned to face Eric. It took him a moment to come to his senses. "I'll stay." 

"Eric." He moved over to the other man, whose eyes were still dark with hate. "Come on, man." 

Eric stared at Hanson, gun still drawn. "Bastard deserved it." 

"In a few seconds, Ravenwood men are gonna be all over the place. We have to go _now_." He looked at Jake. "All of us." 

Jake pulled out his gun. "No. I'm staying. Both of you get out of here." 

"Don't be stupid," Stanley said with a look. "Heather needs you. You're not gonna be much help to her if you end up in a prison cell or worse yet, dead." He plucked the gun from Jake's hands and slid it into the cell with the New Bern men before doing the same with Eric's. Then he grabbed both of them and shoved them toward the exit. 

He struggled against the taller man's hold while Eric followed quietly. "Stanley, let go of me!" 

"Shut up," he ordered, glaring at him. 

At that moment, the door flew open and Major Beck stood there, followed by several of his men. "What the hell is going on?" 

"Don't know," Jake replied, straightening. 

Beck stared at him, then moved past, heading for the holding cell. 

"They're armed," Stanley warned, stepping out of the way. "One of them turned on the other." 

Jake kept walking after that, not turning back until they were outside. 

Stanley finally let go of him as they left the building. 

Jake turned around, glaring. "They're going to know." 

"You really think Beck's gonna take their word over ours?" he challenged, shaking his head. "Stop and think for a minute, Jake. If Constantino had been the one killed, then yeah, he'd know, but he has no idea there was reason to kill Hanson." 

He ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, okay." 

"Let's make ourselves scarce," he said, casting a glance at Eric. "No reason to hang around and make anyone more suspicious." 

He nodded, nudging Eric. "Let’s go." 

"I'll uh...be at the bar..." He mumbled. 

"Eric." Stanley looked at him worriedly. 

"See you later Stanley." 

He watched him go. 

Jake sighed. "He shouldn't have had to do that." 

Stanley looked away. "If he hadn't, I would have." His voice was quiet as he turned and headed toward his truck. 

He shook his head. "I'm sorry Stanley." 

"Me too." 

"Don't let Mimi and Bonnie out of sight for the next few days, okay?" 

He nodded slightly. "You can count on that." 

* * * 

Mary Bailey watched the last of the patrons leave her bar and began to wipe the counter down with her rag, drawing in a breath and letting it out slowly. The seven o'clock curfew was killing her business, but there wasn't really anything she could do about it except hope that Ravenwood wouldn't be in charge much longer. She glanced up when the door opened and smiled when she saw Eric. "Hey!" 

Eric looked up at her, eyes haunted. "Hi." 

She gazed at him intently, worry instantly clouding her features. "Eric? What is it?" 

He sat down at the barstool. "I just..." 

"Just what?" She leaned onto the bar and rested her hand on his. 

"Killed a man," he murmured. 

Mary stared at him. "What?" 

"At the station...he did things...and said things to Jake..." 

She glanced toward the door, alarmed. "Is Jake all right?" 

"He's fine," his voice was quiet. "I think." 

"I don't think I understand," she said slowly. 

"The shooter," he said. "I killed him." 

"The one from New Bern?" she asked in confusion. 

"Yeah." 

Mary lifted a hand to his cheek, knowing there was a lot more to the story than he was saying. "Eric, what's going on?" 

"He hurt Heather." 

"God. Is she--" 

"He did it when we were in New Bern." 

"What did he do to her?" 

"He threatened me and Stanley...said he'd kill us if she didn't..." He swallowed. 

Her face drained of all color. "Oh, Eric." 

"Jake went to confront him and Stanley and I went with," he continued. "He said some awful things..." 

"Did anyone see you?" she whispered worriedly. 

"Just Stanley and Jake." 

Mary relaxed a little, but still looked worried. "Come on, let's get outta here." 

"'kay." 

She moved around the bar and put an arm around him, guiding him toward the door as she tried to absorb what she'd just learned. 

***

When Stanley got back to the farm, he still hadn't fully comprehended just what had happened at the station. When he walked in the door, he was greeted by Mimi. He hugged her tightly. "Hey." 

She hugged him back. "How's Jake?" *

"Quiet." 

Mimi slowly pulled away from him, studying him. "Kinda like you right now." 

"I am?" He asked, confused. 

"What's going on?" 

"Something happened at the station today..." 

Instantly she was on guard, bracing herself for whatever he was about to tell her. "What happened?" 

He took a breath. "Eric killed the shooter." 

"In the station?" 

"Yeah." 

Her eyes were wide. "But--" 

"We got out before anyone could suspect us." 

"Are you sure?" she pressed. 

"Yes," he assured her. 

"What the hell was he thinking?" 

"If he hadn't done it, I would have." 

Mimi drew back a little, confused by the coldness she saw in his eyes. "Stanley." 

"When we were in New Bern," he began. "Hanson threatened Heather. He said that he would kill Eric and me if she didn't...surrender to him." 

She shook her head a little, not comprehending at first. Then realization dawned on her and she sucked in a breath. 

"It's obvious what she chose," he said, expression growing darker. 

She shut her eyes, swallowing hard. 

He hugged her once more. "It's gonna be okay." 

"I think that's my line right now," she said quietly, hugging him back tightly. 

"Nah, it's mine," he put his chin on the top of her head. 

Mimi rested her head against his chest. "And you're absolutely sure no one suspects?" 

"As sure as I can be," Stanley said quietly. 

She tensed a little, then relaxed. There wasn't point in worrying about it. Whatever happened now, happened. They'd face it together. 

***

When Jake entered his house once more, it was to a worried Gail. "Hey Mom..." 

She moved to his side and hugged him without hesitation. "What happened?" 

He hugged her back. "Ran into Eric and Stanley." 

"It's good you're back." She pulled away slowly and looked over to the sofa where Heather lay sleeping, though her expression was far from peaceful. 

He nodded a little, taking her hint and moving into the front room. 

"I'll be upstairs if you need me." Her voice was quiet. 

"Okay," he whispered, sitting down beside Heather once more. 

Gail turned and headed up the stairs slowly. 

He slowly put his hand on Heather's back, rubbing it slowly. 

She relaxed almost instantly, but didn't awaken, her breathing evening out once more. 

His lips turned up in a sad smile as she relaxed. Shifting into a more comfortable position on the couch, a voice resounded inside his head. 

_”You never came to check on her....never even came to get her...”_

He shut his eyes. "I'm so sorry Heather," he whispered.


End file.
